Feature Story
Honoring the Broadway Legend Stephen Sondheim in a “Sondheim Tribute Revue”
Dancing and singing through many of Stephen Sondheim’s most well-known and famous songs, the university’s theatre program performed a “Sondheim Tribute Revue” in recognition of the composer’s lasting impact on modern Broadway on Sept. 26–27 and Oct. 1–3 in the Performing Arts Center.
“I wanted to help people to get to know who Sondheim was—his life and his legacy—and what he has said about his musicals and about the process of creating them,” said Professor Dallyn Vail Bayles, who created and directed the production. “I gathered some of his most iconic songs and used many of his interviews and writings to be the connecting thread between the songs. It’s a celebration of one of Broadway’s most important composers in modern times.”
Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theatre, Sondheim introduced psychological depth, unconventional plot structures, and more challenging themes to Broadway, bridging the gap between the “Golden Age” and modern musical forms. His dozens of awards included an Academy Award, eight Grammy Awards, five Laurence Olivier Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, eight Tony Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.
“Sondheim transitioned the golden ages of Broadway to the modern day and changed it forever,” said Avery Brinton (‘29). “He’s known for having hard rhythms, syncopated beats, and for being an emotional writer, but people don’t know much about the life he lived. That was something I loved to learn during the process of this musical.”
“Sondheim Tribute Revue” included songs from “Into the Woods,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Follies,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Company,” “Passion,” and “A Little Night Music,” where the cast performed in solos, duets, and full and partial company.
“Sondheim was super good about generalizing his music so that everyone could find a piece to relate to,” said Landon Gumucio (‘28). “The narrations included between the songs not only helped tell the story of how his songs came about and the motivations of the characters, but also showed how he used his own experiences in these musicals to create these rich stories.”
Assistant Professor of Theatre Dallyn Vail Bayles served as the director, with Lisa Knudson as the music producer and pianist and Kim Hirt as the choreographer. Colton Sorensen served as assistant director and Brianna Gonzales as stage manager, with Professor of Theatre Amaree Cluff as the costume consultant and Professor of Theatre David Dwyer as the set designer.
The cast of actors was as follows:
Avery Brinton (‘29)
Jonah Rasmussen (‘27)
Ezekiel Gonzales (‘26)
Lily Calderwood (‘27)
Tess McGill (‘27)
Colton Sorensen (‘26)
Gabrielle Atwood (‘26)
Courtney Bowles (‘29)
Landon Gumucio (‘28)
Lily Goodworth (‘28)
Professor Amaree Cluff (Performed Sept. 26–27)